Honor of the Heart
by Keep Calm and Be Ninja
Summary: Several months after losing her parents and best friend in the Kyuubi attack, Akari Nara is still recovering from her losses when she starts to have conflictions and doubts, also deciding to never fall in love at a rather early age. But when she starts to spend more time with the son of the White Fang of Konoha, will she decide to honor her heart or follow her mind? Rated T
1. Reality Check

**Honor of the Heart**

**Chapter 1-Reality Check**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or I'd be filthy rich.****  
**

**Chapter 1**

_"It's the Nine Tails!"_

_The responses to that cry were unbearable. It filled her head and gave her a piercing headache with all the crowded noise. All of those bloodcurdling screams struck her heart in surprise and fright, making her breathing go ragged and irregular._

_The ground trembled incredibly, making her nearly lose her balance as if an earthquake had crept up onto the village. The suffocating scent of burning wood and smoke mixed with the revolting stench of rotting flesh was enough to stir waves of nausea inside her stomach._

_And then there was the heat. The intense flames that caused her to sweat without even trying. The sweltering temperatures were unbearable, as if they were going to melt the flesh right off of her bones as they tried to lick at her skin, ready to feast._

_Everything was blurry for the moments Akari struggled to open her eyes. Misshapen figures and moving colors were all she saw until they grew clearer in the passing moments. The figures began to take on more definition as the colors sharpened to objects._

_Then, it was all clear._

_People swarming the streets, scrambling away from certain death while dragging children by the hand and yelling to their loved ones to follow, or wishing off the ninjas to fight their best. Villagers knocked others down amidst the rampaging confusion to spare their lives._

_A massive paw descended to crush several men, women and children, as well as blowing others back to either collide with a wall or post or get lucky enough to just land hard on their backs. Crimson liquid stained the ground and walls that had managed to withstand the onslaught, with bodies littered everywhere._

_An immensely evil chakra radiated from the monster that continued with the assault on the village._

_This was the night of the massacre._

_She stood there rigid, with her rose-colored hair stiff, dirty and filled with knots. Akari's heart pounded wildly as an icy chill ran down throughout her body, causing her fingertips to grow cold and a sweat begin to form on her forehead. With wide, terrified eyes she could only stand and watch as more and more civilians were slaughtered without mercy or a second thought._

_Akari couldn't stand the chaos, nor the heartless killings of those around her. She became dazed with all the senses that filled her body and head, unable to flee for her life._

_Suddenly and without warning, a structure collapsed inches away from her, spraying dust and splintered wood at the redhead as she leapt away just in time to avoid the falling debris. A piece of something sharp managed to deeply cut her arm and she winced, clamping a hand down on the wound while it seeped blood._

_She had joined the other shinobi on the front line to fight alongside her parents, but Akari lost them in the craziness._

_Two figures came into view, facing off against the giant monster attacking the Hidden Leaf Village. One was a tall-ish beautiful woman with long rose-colored hair and deep amethyst eyes. The other was a man with deep brown hair and matching brown eyes._

_They began to turn slowly, as she started running towards them._

_"Mother! Father!" Akari shouted with a smile. At least they could make her feel safer._

_**"I want to forget. I want to forget everything! Everything about this day, I want to forget...I don't want to see anymore! Make it stop!"**_

_As she ran, alarmed expressions crossed onto her parents' features._

_"Akari, get away from here!" Her father snapped. but it was too late._

_A claw hundreds of feet long reached out to try to pierce through her body._

_Instead, it cut down her father, and then her mother. The two had blocked off the attack at the price of their lives._

_Their mouths coughed up blood to splatter the dirt and trailed down the sides of their mouths, and from their torsos as they collapsed onto the ground._

_"Akari...run...hurry!" Her mother coughed._

_Standing there, shell-shocked, she stood shaking as she watched on in absolute horror. Senses returned to her long enough to regain control of her body and she hurried over to her mother's side._

_"Akari, please, run away!" the beautiful redhead pleaded while Akari took her hand into her own._

_Trying to stay strong, Akari blinked away the tears that began to formulate. "No! I'm not going to leave you!"_

_"Very well...I know I can't force you...I won't last much longer...but...I have some things I wish to tell you." the dying kunoichi smiled. Her grip tightened on Akari's small hand._

_"Do not blame the next jinchuuriki for the actions of the Kyuubi. I beg you to not walk down the path of revenge," she began._

_"How do you know there will be a new jinchuuriki?" her daughter questioned._

_"There is always a new jinchuuriki. It is merely...a forewarning I am giving you. Sweetie, I want you to understand, do not hate because of this day. Make friends-good friends, even if it's only one or two. Befriend people who will give their lives for you, and you for them. Learn to fall in love with a good man who loves you for who you are when you are older..." Asami spoke softly._

_"Mama, please..." Akari whimpered, gazing down at her mother with despair twisting her features._

_"Akari, your father and I will always love you. I...I'm so sorry." Tears streamed down Asami's face, leaving clean little lines down her dirtied and bloodied face. But despite her tears, her smile remained._

_"Always know you have the Will of Fire within you, and never give up. You're my little Light, as you can be for the rest of Konoha. Hope always remains so long as you can fight." Asami's voice drifted, the light in her eyes extinguishing. Her hand slipped out of Akari's, flopping onto the ground._

_"No, mother! Mother, please..." Tears finally escaped the girl's eyes._

_"Mom...dad..." Akari whispered, her voice nearly all sucked dry.__** "Why? Why is this happening?!"**_

_Akari could barely register anything that was occurring, including a figure running towards her as she forced her body to move. Putting one foot in front of the other, she slowly made herself stand, her arms hanging limply by her sides and her head bowed to shadow her face._

_"Why...do good people like mother and father have to die? Why...?"_

_She felt tears prick her eyes, lifting her head to spot the figure that apparently belonged to her best friend Etsuko from the Hyuuga clan. __She was yelling at her, frantically waving her arms while doing her best to capture Akari's attention._

_"Akari! Run! Get out of here! The Nine Tails is too dangerous! Run!" Fear glinted in her pale-lavender eyes as she hurried towards her best friend._

_Then Akari saw the claw again and panicked, struggling to scream for Etsuko to run but couldn't. She sprinted to help her, to try to push her out-of-the-way in time. "Etsuko, look out!"_

_**"Not Etsuko too! I won't allow it! I can't let her share the same fate as mother and father!"**_

_But...a gruesome ripping sound occurred as her dearest friend stared at her with wide eyes, and the vital crimson liquid that maintained her life dribbled down the corners of her mouth._

_Akari began to tremble again, stopping dead in her tracks and unable to differentiate reality from fiction any longer. __**"This...this is fake. No, they couldn't have really died! I won't believe it!"**_

_However the stinging pain from her arm reminded her it was too real to be fake._

_"E-Etsuko..." she stammered, her eyes roaming over to the bodies of her parents._

_"Mom...dad..." Akari clenched her hands, her heart beating faster and threatening to explode from her chest as she started to lose her grip on her sanity. At least, that was what it felt like to her. She'd rather lose her sanity and forget everything here than to remember it each passing day._

_**"Why is this happening?!"**_

_She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, beat herself for not being able to do anything, and forget everything._

_**"I...I want to disappear...to be able to run away from all of this and just cease to exist...I want to make all of this stop!"**_

_Akari hurried over to her best friend's torn up body only to see her turn into..._

_"...Kakashi?" the tremor in her now hardly audible voice did not go unnoticed as it escaped her lips._

_**"...ri..."**_

_She looked around, now on high alert for any opposing enemies._

_**"ka...ri..."**_

_"This voice...isn't it...?"_

_Gazing down at the body that had turned into Kakashi, Akari was beyond disturbed to see him speaking to her. His voice was beginning to get louder and louder._

_**"...kari..."**_

_Tears poured down her cheeks as she finally exploded._

_"What?! What...what is this?! Leave me alone!" she shouted, gripping the sides of her head and falling to her knees. She had lost the strength to stand._

_**"A..kari..."**_

_It was getting clearer and louder now._

_**"...Akari..."**_

_"Leave me alone! Go away!" The girl yelled repeatedly without any results._

_**"Akari..."**_

_"Get out!" she screamed, feeling her throat go raw and crack at the amount of force she used._

_**"I want to run away...to get away from all of this! Why? Why can't I?!"**_

_"Get away from me!" Akari yelled in fright, trying to move but finding her body unresponsive to her demands._

_"Move...move, you...you stupid body!"_

_Darkness began to cave in on her, isolating her from her surroundings with a chilling quiet besides the voice that persistently continued calling out._

_"No!"_

_**"Akari!"**_

* * *

**Akari's POV**

I jolted awake with a start in my bed, drenched in sweat. My senses were on high alert and I grabbed a kunai, screaming when I felt hands shaking my shoulders, ready to attack.

But then a gloved hand stopped me from lashing out and forced me to look at them. "Hey! Get it together! Calm down, you're safe."

My eyes widened as I saw the silver spiky hair and masked face.

"Ha...Hatake..." I despised how weak my voice sounded, especially in front of Kakashi. I was always arguing with him because of his condescending attitude towards me. I'm only a genin at the age of eleven, and he a jonin at the age of fourteen. Okay, so maybe I start the arguments most of the time, but still...

I tried to get a grip on my senses, but I was still disoriented, my body trembling from the after-effects of the nightmare. The kunai quivered in my unsteady grip. I felt tears prick my eyes and drip down my face as I spoke again, finding my voice to be stronger than a few minutes ago. "...Kakashi...?"

"Are you okay?" I heard him ask in his regular smooth voice. I actually saw a hint of concern in his one visible eye. The other was hidden by his hitai-ate as usual.

I grabbed his arms to make sure he was really there. He felt real, and he sounded real. But these nightmares...again...

I couldn't speak. Instead I just held on tighter to Kakashi, making sure he was really there.

I remembered the wound on my arm and gripped it to keep the blood from flowing out more, but as I lifted my palm to check there was nothing but my usual flesh-completely healthy. I felt dazed out of my mind, and still could not tell whether this was real or not.

Slowly I nodded. "Yeah, I think so..."

"Good. Come downstairs when you're dressed." Kakashi told me, got up and started to leave. A thought came to me.

"Wait..."

He stopped on cue, as if he had anticipated it.

"Could you please...stay here with me, for a bit?" Even though I felt myself blush from my request, I hoped he didn't shoot down my hesitant question. I needed someone made of real flesh and blood at the moment. It's too overwhelming to be alone right now.

The jonin seemed to think about it for a moment, then nodded and headed back over to me. He sat down at the end of my bed, glancing at me carefully as to not startle me further.

"All right, I'll stay. But not for too long, we have a long day ahead of us," he warned me.

I sighed in relief, but was shivering too much to care for what he said. As long as he agreed to stay with me, it was fine.

As I tried to gather my bearings-or at least that's what my mom would say-Kakashi stared at me every once in a while as he patiently waited for me to calm down. His presence was actually very...soothing. It was almost more comforting than when mother-

I immediately pulled my thoughts away and directed them towards Kakashi, who was always such a big mystery to me, wiping my eyes of the tears that fell against my will.

I didn't know much about him except that his father was the Legendary White Fang of Konoha, who took his own life after being shunned for protecting his comrades instead of completing a very important mission.

He's changed, though. Ever since Obito and Rin...

Once he sensed I was nearly back to normal, he looked at me and said, "Let me know when you're ready."

I met his gaze, ready to face the day. "I'm ready now."

He nodded at me again, then stood and started to leave the room. "I'll be waiting with your sensei."

"Uh, hold on a minute."

Kakashi stopped and turned. "Hmm?"

"Why are you here? Why were you there to wake me up?" The question seemed stupid, but I needed to know.

"Ah, well...come downstairs and we'll explain everything. It's better to speak of such matters when you're having a filling breakfast." He said cheerfully with his usual laid-back disposition. I could tell he was smiling by the outline of his mouth underneath his mask.

My stomach rumbled at his mention of food. I blushed in embarrassment, but Kakashi just kept smiling. "All right..."

Content with my answer, Kakashi started to leave again until I murmured, "And...thank you."

He kept going, but I heard him say, "No problem."

After he closed the door, I threw off my covers and hopped out of bed.

Stumbling a little, I finally walked over to my closet and pulled on a mesh/fish net shirt, also wrapping white bandages around my upper arms and lower torso. Then I threw my red shirt and shorts on.

I then tied wrappings around my right leg as well as my supplies pack, followed by my long black socks and fingerless gloves.

Turning to my mirror, I stared at my reflection with my bed head, frizzy rose-colored hair that stuck out with tangles, slight dark circles beginning to show and my skinny figure. I sighed deeply, bowing my head in exasperation.

"To think Kakashi saw me like this...I look like a resurrected kid." I muttered before brushing my tangled hair and pulled it back in a high ponytail. "Like I should even care though...what do I care if Kakashi saw me like this?" I asked myself.

It was very strange and confusing. I shouldn't care what Kakashi thinks, he hardly makes any comments at all anyways. So why do I?

I re-did my bangs that had gotten all over the place over the night, making it slightly sweep to the right side with some near my eyes and the hair framing my face layered.

Edging a smile, I tried to be cheerful, but all I could manage was a small twitch to the sides of my mouth. I sighed again, feeling my heart heave with heaviness.

_"I'll never become as strong as Kurenai, Kakashi or Gai...not even my own teammates...maybe all I'm cut out for is just staying out-of-the-way."_

* * *

**With Kakashi**

He didn't even walk downstairs, instead appearing in a flash at the bottom of the stairs before he continued walking towards the dining room and stood in front of a tall man with short dark brown hair and nearly equally dark eyes. His bangs were segmented down the middle and would have covered his eyes if it hadn't been for his hitai-ate.

Two scarlet fang markings were the most noticeable on his cheeks, but that did not hide his attractive features of a squared-off jaw, sharp features and muscular build.

The man was busy preparing meals and so far did not acknowledge Kakashi's presence.

A large ashen-grey and white dog sat beside him anticipating his breakfast. It nearly looked like a wolf with a sharper muzzle, pointed ears and a slim yet muscular build.

"Kakashi, why don't you sit down? It will take me a moment longer to prepare breakfast and I know you haven't eaten yet, since you visit the memorial stone so early and for so long."

The silver-haired teen merely nodded and sat down on his knees in front of the table.

"Ah, is Akari awake now?" the man asked.

Kakashi nodded once more. "Yes, Jiro-sensei."

"Tell me, was she having a nightmare? I could hear her screaming." Jiro questioned.

"Yeah. She even called me by my first name, which has never happened before." The silver-haired jonin replied.

The dog-owner sighed. "Another one..."

"You mean this has happened before?" Kakashi asked.

"Correct. Akari has had recurring nightmares these past several months, ever since she saw her parents and closest friend die in front of her on that night...she doesn't like to talk about them, but I can tell they're beginning to affect her," Jiro explained, "She's tried depriving herself of sleep, only to fall asleep in the early hours of the morning and have the nightmares come then. I've tried helping her any way I can, but nothing has worked so far"

He finished making the dog's breakfast and placed the bowl a few feet away from the side of the table Kakashi was sitting at. "Sorry, Haimaru. I made you wait for a while, didn't I?" Jiro smiled while stroking his dog's fur. Haimaru merely continued eating with a 'swish' of his tail.

As Jiro headed back to making breakfast for the three humans present in the house, Kakashi quietly thought back to when he awoke Akari.

She had been so terrified, she had actually clung to him as if her life had depended on it, and even asked him to stay with her until she was able to calm down. The Akari he knew, however, was too prideful and independent to do that sort of thing.

_"Then again, ever since that attack she's changed.__She's the same as me now...an orphan." _He mentally noted. The jonin merely continued to blankly stare at the table, lost in thought.

Kakashi folded his arms as he thought harder. _"Hmm...interesting..."_

Jiro had inclined his head slightly to see Kakashi out of the corner of his eye.

_"I can never tell what that boy is thinking." _He sighed before continuing to finish making breakfast just in time to see Akari descend from the stairs. Smiling, he turned to his pupil/subordinate.

"Akari, I see you're finally awake."

The girl nodded back, the beginnings of a smile growing on her face. "Yes. Hatake woke me up, thankfully."

Jiro grabbed various plates of food and started setting them around the table in front of Kakashi and Akari, who awkwardly sat down across from him. The two did not exchange words or conversation of any sort.

"Oh? For once you're not in a foul mood! Is getting the chance to wake up to Kakashi that special?" her sensei teased, making her go red in the face.

"Sensei! I-it's not like that!" Akari protested as Kakashi said it with her in sync. They glanced at each other before quickly looking away with a huff.

Jiro laughed heartily. "Hahaha! You two need to relax more! It was a joke!"

A vein popped out on Akari's right temple, as she held a fist up. "Don't joke like that! It's embarrassing!"

"Ah, you're just cranky because you're hungry! Here, eat up!" Jiro grinned, revealing his fang-like canines as he sat at the head of the table, crossing his legs while setting his own plate of food in front of him.

Akari picked up her chopsticks with hardly any emotion. "Thank you for the food."

"Yes, thank you. I really enjoyed it." Kakashi said politely with a clean plate in front of him. Akari's eyes bulged in disbelief to see his plate completely cleaned off.

"Eh?! You eat almost as fast as me!" she exclaimed.

Jiro sighed, setting down his own plate. "Well, I was hoping we'd all be able to eat together since Akari can't go without arguing for more than five minutes. It would've been some very valuable bonding time."

Akari, who had started to eat, choked suddenly on her tamagoyaki (rolled omelet). Flailing, she brought a fist to her chest and pounded, while grabbing her glass of water nearby with her free hand to gulp the cool liquid down.

Kakashi remained neutral. "Hmm, that sounds like it would have been a great idea. Apologies."

Before the red-headed girl could say anything more, her sensei spoke up.

"Oh I nearly forgot. Akari! The entire reason Kakashi is here is because he will be acting as your leader in your latest mission. Taiki and Saburo have already been informed." Jiro stated.

The redhead flickered her amethyst eyes over to her sensei in dull surprise.

"Why aren't you going?"

"I have been assigned a different mission. Normally this wouldn't happen but given how short we are on man power now, it cannot be prolonged. Don't worry, Kakashi is a perfectly capable leader."

Akari closed her eyes and sighed. "I don't think I would be of much use..."

A stern looked crossed over onto Jiro's face. "Never say that, Akari. You are a ninja of Konoha, and I've seen that you have the Will of Fire within you. You're a part of Team 5, and they never see you as a liability. That's the end of this discussion, and you need to prepare for your mission."

Akari shut her mouth and bowed her head. "Yes, Jiro-sensei."

She turned to look at Kakashi. "Well, we should get going then, shouldn't we?"

Kakashi nodded. "I believe it would be proactive to go over the details of the mission with everyone before we leave, so we should join the others quickly."

The redhead then got up to her feet, stuffed extra ningu (ninja supplies) and medical equipment into her pockets and ninja leg pack, then opened the door to leave. She turned her head to look back at Kakashi.

"What are you waiting for then? Let's go."

Kakashi sighed, heaving up onto his feet and bowed to Jiro. "Thank you for your hospitality."

Jiro grinned. "Of course! Anytime. Take care, both of you! Try not to kill each other, okay?"

A tick mark appeared on Akari's head again. "We won't! Bye, Jiro-sensei, Haimaru!"

Haimaru barked in response and wagged his tail as Jiro continued to smile. "Goodbye."

And with that, the two ninjas departed to join the others.

Jiro slowly became serious. "Hmm...I honestly hope Akari's temper doesn't get the better of her. Although, I'm sure she'll behave since it's a B rank..."

**A/N: I'm sorry if this isn't the best Naruto fic...it's my first one. Well, please Favorite, Review and Follow! ^^ It makes my day :D**


	2. Ninmu

**Honor of the Heart**

** Chapter 2-Ninmu**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, just Akari Nara, her teammates, parents, sensei and dog, this fanfic and so on. Ah, and please no flames. Honestly this is my very first Naruto fanfic so I ask for only positive criticism. If there is something bothering you so badly about the story that you just need to tell me about it, then I will gladly try to converse about it if you PM me. Thank you! ^^**

**Akari's POV**

As the two of us strolled down the streets of Konoha, all I could think of was the mission, but since Hatake decided he doesn't want to repeat himself he hasn't told me anything thus far besides the fact that we're guarding something important.

I waved to some people who greeted me good morning. Well, you know, the people who actually still conversed with me without that uncertain gleam in their eyes, with Kakashi sometimes doing the same until we began leaping across buildings to fasten our pace.

Unable to conjure up any subject to converse about, I merely continued in a somewhat awkward atmosphere.

"Akari-chan, there is something I would like to discuss with you before we rendezvous with Taiki and Saburo." The silver-haired jonin spoke, slowing down slightly and in the process making me do the same.

"Huh? What is it?" I asked absently, taking more interest in the beautiful pale blue of the sky.

"It's about these...nightmares you're having."

Immediately I stopped on the rooftop I was now on and shot him a glare. "How do you know about-"

I caught myself when I realized who it must have been.

"Jiro-sensei..." I growled. "The one thing I ask him to keep a secret he goes and blabs to the first person who's curious!"

Drawing to the conclusion that it'd do nothing to avoid talking about it, and that Hatake seems truly concerned (most likely because he thinks it might affect my efficiency on the mission), I sighed.

"Okay, fine. What would you like to know? I can reassure you it will not affect my performance during the mission whatsoever."

"Have you considered going to the hospital to try to see if they can help?" The jonin suggested.

"That was the first place I tried. They said that I'm "traumatized by the experience" from the incident and it's why the nightmares are occurring. They should be gone soon, as I "heal from the experience". Blah blah blah in my book. Anything else?" I responded as we continued on.

"Do Taiki and Saburo know?" he questioned.

I tensed slightly as I remained silent for a few moments. "...no. And if you don't mind, I'd prefer to keep it that way. It's something they do not need to know about."

Hatake sighed. "Fine, if that's what you want. I only considered it my business because I'm your team leader on this mission. It's not really my place to go around telling secrets."

For once, I'm actually grateful to him. Although I feel like some sarcasm is going to come along soon.

Kakashi and I appeared at the bridge near the hospital to see Taiki and Saburo waiting for us.

Taiki had a gentle expression on his face, his brown hair flowing in the wind. As I watched his green eyes sparkle with mirth, I sighed.

I always see him in a positive, uplifting mood, even with his bouts of seriousness.

Then there was Saburo, who practically brooded all day, but he did know how to enjoy himself at times. Thinking about it, he and Taiki are just about complete opposites.

His cool demeanor is understandable - his father had been especially abusive until Saburo had become bold enough to kick him out and bring him to the Sandaime Hokage. His icy blue eyes glimmered in the sunlight.**  
**

They both turned to look at us as we approached. Taiki beamed and waved while Saburo merely glanced over his crossed arms.

"Hey! Where were you two? We've been waiting here for over an hour. I can understand Kakashi being late but for you, Akari, it's unthinkable. You always say you hate being late," My brown-haired teammate said.

Kakashi remained laid-back. "Sorry, we got caught up in the beauty of the morning sunrise together and lost track of time."

My eyes bugged out, as an embarrassed blush heated my cheeks. Yeah, there's the sarcasm I was waiting for.

Saburo and Taiki appeared stricken with shock.

"Uh, you're lying, right?" Taiki inquired.

"Of course he's lying! Aren't all of his excuses for being late always this ridiculous?" I snapped hot-headedly.

"Do you really think they'd do something as dumb as admire the sunrise together? I mean, sure Kakashi would but Akari's too socially awkward to do anything like that. Plus she doesn't have the patience for it." Saburo stated like a slightly arrogant attitude.

I raised a fist. "I am not! I have plenty of patience!"

Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Kakashi and Taiki sweatdrop.

"Ah, please don't say that. Anyways, let me debrief all of you on our mission now." Kakashi spoke, grabbing our attention.

"Now then, our destination is the Land of Noodles. We are escorting back the daimyo's son from a meeting since they don't have a shinobi village and the Land of Noodles is pretty much in the Fire Country anyways. He's going to be here any minute. Because he's the next in line to rule the Land of Noodles, his life is top priority. This is an A rank mission."

Taiki grew excited. "So we'll be escorting a royal?!"

"Uh, sure. If that's how you want to phrase it." Our leader shrugged, already seeming bored.

"Great. More like a royal pain in the-" Saburo began, but I shot him a glare and shut him up quickly.

"You don't even know him yet, Saburo! Don't go judging people like that. He could be a very nice person." I chastised with a slight frown.

The dark-haired genin scowled at me. "I can judge him how I like."

I started to bristle, but Hatake interrupted us.

"Now, now. You don't want to be arguing when he could show up at any time, right?"

I huffed. "Whatever."

Suddenly the massive doors that are the entrance and exit to Konoha groaned, slowly reeling forward to show a small, albeit plump child with brown hair swept up into a strange updo.

I stared at him in confusion.

Taiki frowned. "Why is there a child?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea."

"Are you the ninjas that my father assigned to protect me?" He asked, staring back at us while walking closer.

"Yes, that would be us. It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness." Kakashi bowed.

I looked at him in shock. "Wha-you mean he's the daimyo's son?!"

Even Saburo seemed surprised.

The kid trained his eyes on me with a glare. "Yeah, so? My name's Chikara."

"But you're so...young." I said dumbly.

"So are you to be a shinobi! I doubt you guys could save me even if the threat was just a fan." He scoffed, folding his smaller arms.

I growled. "What'd you say?!"

"Akari-chan, settle down." Hatake told me. I reluctantly obliged, but shot a glare at him.

Saburo had a full-of-himself look on his face. "See? I told you. Nothing but a royal pain in the-"

"Yeah, I got it!" I snapped.

"Ehem, anyways, I am Hatake Kakashi and this is my team. Raikawa Saburo, Wakahisha Taiki and Nara Akari." Kakashi said while motioning towards us.

"You guys don't look very reliable." Chikara frowned.

Suppressing my spike in frustration, I took a deep breath. "Well, you're stuck with us anyways. We're stronger than we look."

Still, he seemed dubious. "I guess we'll see. At least your leader seems strong."

Kakashi sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as we all glared at him.

"Well then, shall we depart? I think we've been here far too long." He stated, and we all reluctantly agreed.

We made a formation around Chikara, with Hatake leading the way, me at Chikara's left, Saburo at the right and Taiki behind us while passing the gates of our village.

As we walked down the path and Konoha getting further behind, Chikara started talking.

"How far are we gonna walk?"

"Not far. Our first stop is Otafuku Gai, where we'll be staying for the night. It'll take a few hours to get there, but hopefully we'll make it before nightfall." Kakashi replied.

I glanced around. "Do you think the village will be vulnerable? I mean, we've never been so short on shinobi before..."

"Nah, we might be short-staffed, but nothing can bring down Konoha!" Taiki grinned cheerfully.

I smiled, shaking away the dubious thoughts in my head. "You're right. Our village is strong, even when our numbers dwindle."

"Only because we have clans like the Hyuugas and Uchihas." Saburo added and I sent another glare his way.

"Everyone is strong in their own way. Like Kurenai and Gai. Kurenai is one of our most talented genjutsu users and Gai's taijutsu is insane." I retorted.

"Kurenai and Gai are practically prodigies. Gai graduated at the age of seven." My teammate pointed out.

"Yeah but because of all the hard work he put into everything!" I reasoned.

"Oh geez, can you stop yelling? I'm right in between the two of you!" Chikara snapped, growing irritated by our arguing.

I heard Kakashi sigh but didn't care because I was too busy scolding Chikara.

* * *

**Saburo's POV**

Somehow Akari switched from arguing with me to Chikara, alternating from lecturing him like she was his mother and shooting back insults and witty remarks as if she was the same age as him, which only provoked him even more.

It's annoying, but if I say anything she'll probably pick a fight.

That's annoying, too.

Looking at Kakashi, I noticed he was blocking out the bickering behind him completely, except letting lose a small sigh and remained focused on his surroundings.

I did the same, losing interest in my argument with my redheaded teammate.

Taiki seemed unsure of what to do so he just payed more attention behind us for any enemies.

After a few hours, which thankfully did not include more arguing between Akari and our client's son, Otafuku Gai started to come into view.

To be honest, I was relieved. The little brat kept bothering us.

"Aw, come on! Just one taijutsu battle!" He demanded, to which Akari responded, "No."

"I'm royalty! Don't you have to listen to me? I'll pay you."

"We need to conserve our energy for possible enemy encounters. We can't afford to waste it on a taijutsu duel!" Taiki reasoned, but Chikara simply huffed.

"But it does sound like fun. Tell you what. Once we get you to the Land of Noodles, we'll practice there for a bit." Akari suggested.

The kid dawned on the idea and nodded. "Fine."

Akari sighed in relief. "Good! Then let's just continue to Otafuku Gai in relative silence, okay? No more whining, complaining or pointless questions."

The daimyo's son huffed. "Whatever..."

Once we entered Otafuku Gai, the atmosphere immediately changed. It was busy and buzzing with activity. People roamed the streets to various inns, stands and other buildings.

The town was filled with noise, so for a moment I was distracted trying to adjust to the festive town.

"Wow! It's amazing here!" I heard Akari exclaim.

"Stay on guard. Enemies prefer to take advantage of crowded areas due to the fact that you can lose someone so easily." The silver-haired jonin before us warned.

"We're not stupid. Of course we're gonna keep watch on Chikara-sama! It's our mission." Taiki replied without any irritation in his tone.

"But I wanna go see some of the stands!" The said kid protested.

Kakashi hummed. "Hmm, well, I guess we can split up. You four are free to do as you like while I find us a place to stay."

I looked at him with narrowed eyes. "It sounds more like you just want to get away from the kid."

He waved a hand. "Ah, it's not like that. Anyways, see you."

And with that, he took off, walking away at his own lazy pace.

"It's totally like that." Akari muttered in a deadpanned voice.

"So, you said you wanted to visit some of the stands?" Taiki spoke, a smile on his face as he spoke to the spoiled child.

Chikara's face brightened as he nodded.

"Well, let's go have fun!" My female teammate grinned, ushering us forward.

"Can't I just go with Taiki? You're weird." The kid scowled.

Akari pinched his cheek with an evil look on her face. "Aww, but you're just so cute I can't stay away!"

He squirmed, trying to rip away from her tight grip. "Ow, ow, ow!"

"Why do I have to go along, too?" I asked, becoming annoyed again.

"Where else would you have to go?" She replied.

"Someplace quiet."

Akari sighed, continuing to drag us along. "Come on, loosen up and have some fun for once! Just think of it as part of our mission if you're that uptight about it."

This time it was my turn to sigh. "It's not like I really have a choice..."

"Well said! Okay, let's go!" She cheered, dragging us all along.

Chikara now seemed somewhat intimidated. "She's kind of scary..."

Taiki chuckled. "She means well in her own way."

"I don't see it..." The daimyo's son grumbled.

"Eh, what was that?" The redhead questioned, glanced down to him.

He jumped. "N-nothing!"

"Such a pain..." I muttered.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so I forgot to mention something before in the first chapter: The cover image is my OC, but credit for its creation goes to DemonKimmie. She's helped me a lot and I can't thank her enough! ^^ I'm also grateful to my Beta Reader G-ChanSanKun. Please Review, Favorite and Follow! They're greatly appreciated.**


	3. Events of Otafuku Gai!

**Honor of the Heart**

**Chapter 3-Events of Otafuku Gai! Disguised Kindness**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. However, I own this story, Akari Nara and so on. Also, the surnames will go before the first names like the Japanese and other Asian cultures do, since they just sound right to me because I watch anime too much.**

**A/N: Whoo hoo! Over 100 views! ^^ Please leave more reviews, I'd love to hear what you think. Thanks to those who favorited and followed me! :D**

**Akari's** **POV**

Our first stop was a nearby stand that sold some cool popsicles.

Staring at them, my mood became somber as I recalled all the times my parents used to take me to festivals and eat them with me.

All of us smiling, laughing and enjoying each other's company...

_"Those days were so happy..." _I thought.

"Hey Akari-chan, are you alright?" Taiki asked, snapping me out of my reminiscence of bittersweet memories.

"Yeah, I'm fine. So, two of these popsicles please!" I requested, accepting the treats after I paid.

They were double popsicles, so I broke one off for Chikara and handed the other two to Saburo and Taiki.

"Here you go, Taiki-kun, Saburo."

"Thanks, Akari-chan." Taiki smiled gratefully.

"I've told you before, I don't like sweets." Saburo replied, declining the popsicle wavering before his face.

"Well, maybe your tastes have changed. Mine did. Now I like strawberries and hate turnips. So, try it." I insisted, shoving it into his hand.

He sighed, reluctantly tasting the popsicle. His mouth twisted into a frown as he tossed away the popsicle.

"Nope."

Chikara looked up at me in confusion. "What's so exciting about a town like this?"

"Hmm...the atmosphere? I've never been to Otafuku Gai, even though it's only 12 kilometers outside of Konoha..." I trailed off.

"Aren't you supposed to be focused on protecting me?" He asked, licking his popsicle.

"Yeah, so? I can enjoy myself while I'm at it, can't I?"

"Okay, how about we visit some other place?" Taiki suggested before anything could transpire.

"Psh, whatever you guys choose will be boring." Chikara scowled, starting to run off.

I reached out and grabbed him by the ear, dragging him back.

"Oh no you don't! It's dangerous to wander off by yourself."

"Tch, you're just trying to do your jobs." he pouted.

I pulled him closer by his ear. "We're not that boring! Come on, let's have some fun!"

I did my best to ignore all the pubs, so I made my teammates and client's son follow me to a game stand. Glancing at it, I noticed it read, "Ninjutsu is not allowed."

"Hey, Chikara! How about you go first?" I suggested while biting off a portion of my icy cool treat.

The chill filled my mouth, dousing out the dryness of the journey and beating sun. A sweet blueberry flavor danced across my taste buds, leaving me refreshed.

Staring back at me defiantly, he huffed, "And what if I don't want to?"

"Then another one of us will play or we'll go somewhere else." I answered.

"Okay, fine, I'll play the stupid game." The kid grumbled.

Smiling, I stepped back to give him more access to the stand, coincidentally standing in between my teammates.

"Can I go next?" Taiki pleaded.

I shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

"Again, why must I be here?" Saburo sighed, his ice-blue eyes drained of enthusiasm.

"Because you're part of the team, genius." I retorted, smacking him on the back.

I didn't mean to cause him any harm, but I accidentally made him go off-balance and caused him to stumble.

Taiki forced back his chuckles as my fellow teammate shot me a glare.

"Ehehe...sorry."

"I'm telling you this game is rigged! It's the third time I've lost!" We heard Chikara exclaim.

"Nonsense, kid! You just don't have very good aim!" The owner of the stand protested.

"Here, let me give it a try." I smiled, taking up one of the palm-sized balls and placing the money on the counter.

Aiming carefully, I threw it precisely so that it would knock down all the bottles with a loud clatter.

"Alright!" I cheered, happily accepting the prize I was given, which was a special chocolate treat that's usually very expensive.

"Tch, you just got lucky." Chikara pouted, but I could see his hidden disappointment.

Extending my hand, I offered him the prize. "Here."

He placed his eyes on it in surprise. "Huh? Why are you giving this to me?"

I shrugged. "Who knows? I don't really want it."

The daimyo's son gazed at it for a minute. "T...Thanks..." He said reluctantly.

It was the first time he used manners of any sort.

"No problem." I replied as he continued on ahead of us.

"Wow, I didn't know Akari-chan had it in her! She loves chocolate." I heard Taiki comment behind me.

Meanwhile I slumped my shoulders with tears streaming down my face.

_"It...looked...so...delicious...why must I have a soft spot for kids?!"_ I mentally questioned.

"No, I think she's regretting it now." Saburo replied, noticing my posture.

I didn't care and continued moping in silence.

We went around visiting a few more stands, finding several games and foods to test.

I started munching on a stick of multicolored dango. The smooth bean paste filling spilled out inside my mouth as I tore at the soft dough.

"How long are we going to do this?" Taiki whispered, and I craned my neck to answer.

"Probably a couple more hours. Why?"

"Well, shouldn't we be getting back to the inn?"

"Nah, the sun is still in the sky! What would we do there? Sit around and sleep? Might as well make the best of being in this festive town, right? Besides we don't even know which inn Kakashi chose." I grinned.

"Yeah, I guess..." My brown-haired teammate trailed off uncertainly.

"Do you think Kakashi's even found a place to stay yet?"

Saburo replied, "Probably."

I snorted. "Yeah, and sitting around reading that perverted book of his. Sometimes I fantasize about burning it, but then he'd probably kill me with his Chidori (A Thousand Birds), so I always push away the thought. Stupid pervert..."

* * *

**With Kakashi**

The silver-haired jonin was indeed reading, but definitely not sitting around.

In actuality, he was searching for his subordinates that he had told to run off and enjoy the liveliness of the town.

_"Perhaps that was a mistake..." _He thought.

"Now where did they go? Maybe I should just go back to the inn...then again, I never told them which inn I chose..." Kakashi sighed, reading "Icha Icha Paradise" as a pass-time in his search.

Suddenly he sneezed.

"Hmm...I hope no one's saying anything about me." He pondered aloud, his eyes, or technically, eye automatically wandering back to the inked words on the white pages that were illuminated by rays of warm sunlight.

As Kakashi's only visible onyx darted across page to page, envisioning the story in his mind, procrastination seemed like a very good alternative.

"Well, I'll find them later."

* * *

**Akari's POV**

"Wow. I think you're the only person that's bothered by it so much." Saburo told me, and I shot him a glare.

"Whatever! I just don't like perverts."

"He's not _that_ perverted." Taiki argued.

"Hey, where's Chikara?" Saburo asked.

I snapped my head in front of me to see a vacant spot where Chikara had been.

Then I freaked out.

"Aaah! Oh no, where is he?! How could we have lost him?!" I exclaimed, on the verge of pulling out my hair. I felt my eyes bug out.

"It must have been when we were discussing with one another." The brunette behind me noted.

"No duh. How very observant." Saburo said dryly.

I flailed my arms around, searching for the child frantically.

"Where is he?! He couldn't have gone far, right? I mean we only looked away for a moment and he can only run so far, I haven't sensed any outstanding murderous intents or anything and-"

"Akari-chan, calm down! We'll find him, we just need to start asking around." Taiki reassured me.

I took some deep breaths and nodded. "Right. Okay, let's split up to cover more ground. There's a lot of people here so someone must have seen him at some point."

They nodded and dispersed as I walked over to a nearby stand.

"Hello sir, have you seen a little kid about this tall with brown hair and sort of plump? He has a weird updo, too." I queried, using motions with my hands.

"Sorry, I can't say I have." He replied.

"Oh. Thanks." I said and hurried off to ask more people.

"Have you seen a little boy about this tall with a weird hairstyle?" I inquired to a woman with a dog.

"No, sorry."

"Did you happen to spot a child with a weird hairstyle? He's about this tall."

"Nope."

"By chance, has a little kid this tall and a strange hairstyle come through here?"

"Can't say I've seen anyone like that."

"Has a boy run through here with a weird hairstyle and about this tall?"

"Nah. Good luck on finding him, though."

I groaned, desperately glancing around for any sign of Chikara.

"Man! Who knew a little kid could be so elusive?"

"Excuse me, are you looking for a child?" A young man asked me.

I turned to face him. "Uh, yeah. Have you seen him? He's about this tall with brown hair in a weird updo."

"Yeah, I've seen him." He answered.

I lit up with hope. "Really?! Where did he go?"

"I accidentally bumped into him when passing by some pleasure quarters. I'm not sure why he'd be around there, though."

_"...PLEASURE QUARTERS?!" _I mentally screamed. That's the _last_ place I wanted to go!

"O...Okay, thanks!" I edged a smile, then started checking out the quarters with great reluctance.

"Has a kid come by here?" I questioned a call girl who greeted me. I found it gross how scantily dressed she was.

"Hmm, sorry sweetie, haven't seen any kids. Besides, children like you aren't allowed to enter places like this."

_"Not that I'd ever WANT to enter a place like this!"_

"Thanks anyways." I said, running off to more pleasure quarters.

"Geez, where did that kid go?!"

* * *

**With Chikara**

He chuckled evilly as he scanned the streets, biting off another piece of the expensive chocolate Akari gave him.

It was so easy to slip away, he almost laughed while running off.

_"And they call themselves ninjas!" _Chikara thought.

"Chikara! Where are you?" He heard a voice call out. It was far behind, but the fact he could hear it made him jump.

_"Oh no, they're onto me! And if that wench Akari finds me..." _The child shivered at the possibility of suffering at her hands.

He searched for the closest place to run cover to, and dashed into a building at random, accidentally bumping into a woman along the way.

"Sorry." He muttered before entering.

Still looking at the entrance, he saw the feet of Akari walk by, with her calling out his name repeatedly.

Sighing in relief, Chikara turned to see which building he had entered.

A line of stools were placed in front of a counter, various customers drowning their sorrows with alcohol.

It was a rather spacious bar, with a separate part of the room for tables with even more customers. The air was heavy and reeked of a plethora of foods and drinks.

Some men turned to look at him as he approached the counter.

"Hey, wassa kid like you doin' here?" One of them frowned.

"No reason." Chikara answered.

"Huh? A kid doesn't enter a bar for "no reason". Spill, kid!"

The man was obviously drunk. Red puffed his eyes, which were drooping, and his lips slurred together when he spoke. The way he moved was also sloppy, as if it was hard for him to lift even a hand.

"..." The child simply moved away from the drunk, who didn't actually care, and sat down at a table to catch his breath.

"Phew, that was close."

Some suspicious men looked over at him. "Hey, kid, wanna bet with us?"

"No thanks."

"Whaddya mean no thanks? Are you saying no because of how we look?!" A wiry-framed man questioned.

"No, I just don't want to gamble. I'm just a kid!"

"This is a bar, boy. We gamble, drink and gamble some more!" Another one of the men laughed.

"Come on, just one round." A clever-looking young man insisted.

"No thanks." Chikara repeated, growing irritated.

"Tch, it's insulting to turn down a nice offer." The clever man scowled, becoming quite threatening.

A hand descended onto Chikara's shoulder. Turning, he saw it was Saburo.

The lights above him illuminated his face, leaching the color from his eyes to make them truly seem like specks of ice.

"There you are, brother. I've been looking all over for you. Now if you'll excuse us, gentlemen, we're going to be late to join up with our parents." He said swiftly and dragged Chikara out of the bar roughly.

"Ow! Watch it!" He snapped, yanking out of the brunette's grip.

"What were you doing in a bar?" Saburo questioned, complete and utter seriousness in his tone.

"N-None of your business!" The brunette child stuttered, somewhat intimidated.

"Since your father entrusted your safety to us and you took off unexpectedly while in our care, it kind of makes it my business." Saburo glared with his arms folded.

Caving from intimidation, Chikara answered, "Okay, so I might've wanted some time by myself, so what?"

"If you wanted that then you should have just said so. We would have stayed relatively close so you wouldn't get captured, but we know how to respect privacy. Don't do that again, idiot."

The blue-eyed genin flicked Chikara's forehead.

"Ow! I'm going to tell my dad about that!" The child threatened, rubbing his now red forehead.

"And I'll tell him that you went into a pub." Saburo countered.

Chikara shrunk, unable to conjure up another threat. "Whatever..."

"Come on, I know a nice resting spot nearby that's away from all the noise." Saburo said, leading Chikara to a secluded spot underneath a tree that overlooked the town.

* * *

**With Akari**

"Chikara! Come on, please answer!" She shouted in vain.

Darting everywhere she could, the redhead spotted a head of brown hair and grabbed his shoulder, only to see it was a completely different child.

"Sorry..."

Taking a break, Akari sat down on a bench, holding her head in her hands.

_"This is all my fault...if I hadn't started that argument, then I would've been able to catch him sneaking off. And here I thought I could protect kids under my care, ever since that day..."_

She struggled to suppress the incoming panic threatening to overwhelm her as she bit her lower lip.

"What do I do?"

_"What would Hatake do?" _The redhead wondered.

She might not always get along smoothly with the young jonin, but she knew he was incredibly smart. Smarter than her, or anyone else in her team.

Shaking her head, Akari stood up with a renewed determination. "I can't give up! I know he's around here somewhere! I just need to look harder!"

* * *

**With Saburo and Chikara**

The daimyo's son took a bite of his chocolate.

"How'd you find this spot, anyways?"

"I saw it when walking around town. This is where I wanted to be instead of going to all of those stands with Akari. It was such a nuisance." The black-haired dojutsu-user replied.

Chikara continued to nibble away at the sweet treat. "Heh, that wench."

As if summoned by his words, Akari appeared below in the town yelling at the top of her lungs, coincidentally meeting up with Taiki.

When he said he hadn't seen Chikara, Akari repeatedly shouted his name twice as loud.

"CHIKARA! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

The said kid was so startled he jumped and backed away a few feet.

"Sheesh! She's everywhere! Why won't she just give up? It's not like I'd try to find my way home on my own or anything."

"In a busy town like this, anyone could pick you out of a crowd and have their way with you if they know who you are. Akari's simply worried about you and doing her job."

Chikara snorted. "Yeah, I bet she's just doing her job. It's just because I'm to be protected and I'm the daimyo's son."

"Akari isn't like that. She cares about people because of who they are, not because of money or status. I'm surprised she still can, considering..." Saburo trailed off.

"Considering what?" The daimyo's son inquired, finishing off the chocolate and pocketing the wrapper.

"She's lost a lot recently these past few months. We all have. Things she shouldn't have seen or experienced happened, and for a while I thought she'd give up. But she's stronger than most think she is. That's why, when she's this freaked out about losing someone, it means she really cares about you. She just can't express it really well, so I guess you could say she has kindness in disguise. Akari hides her acts of good will in things that aren't really noticeable."

Chikara stared in amazement.

"Well, you'll have to ask her for the rest of the details. It's not right for me to ramble about her past."

"HRAAH!"

The boy and genin snapped their heads to the town to see Akari's temper flaring as she curled her hands into tight, menacing fists. They could have sworn she was emanating flames.

"CHIKARA! IF YOU DON'T COME OUT SOON I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND MAKE YOU KNOW PAIN!"

Chills crept up the spine of the now terrified child, who began quivering like a leaf.

"Well, we should probably join up with them before Akari goes on another rampage." Saburo sighed, stretching as he got up.

Chikara followed, albeit reluctantly.

As they drew closer, they heard the two conversing.

"Akari-chan, I know it's frustrating, but we'll find him soon enough! I mean, Saburo still isn't back yet, so maybe he had some luck." Taiki told her cheerfully.

"It's just...he's so young, and he's our responsibility! If anything happened to him I'd never forgive myself..."

The boy trained his eyes on the ground in shame.

Saburo nudged him forward, prompting the child to glance back at him.

"Come on, it's better than making her die of worry and guilt."

Slowly nodding, Chikara continued to walk forward, Saburo speaking up.

"Hey, guess who I found bursting into a pub and bailed out?"

The two turned their attention to them, lush green and sparkling amethyst eyes widening.

"Chikara?" Taiki uttered, heaving a sigh of immense relief.

Akari walked towards him, anger lighting her features.

"You idiot!"

Curling a fist she hit the back of his head, knocking him off balance.

_"That hurt! That wench, isn't she at least a little concerned?!"_

Wincing and gasping at the same time, Chikara whipped around to glare at her.

"Hey! Aren't you supposed to be worried about-"

He was cut off as Akari ruffled a hand through his hair somewhat roughly, another on his shoulder.

"I'm glad you're safe. We searched everywhere for you!"

Pulling away to look him in the eye, she grew a stern expression.

"Now what do you need to say to us?"

Reluctantly, Chikara glanced at Saburo and Taiki.

"Sorry..."

The redhead before him started to grow a smile.

"Saburo-nii, Taiki-niisan."

A vein bulged in Akari's forehead.

_"This little brat! I swear I'm gonna-"_

Taiki lurched forward to hold back her arms again before she could harm Chikara.

"Sheesh, get this crazy wench away from me!" The child exclaimed.

"Huh, what was that you little-"

"Oh, I finally found you guys." A deeper voice said from behind.

The teammates and Chikara all turned to see Kakashi reading his book.

"Hatake?" The only female in the group murmured, her rage dissipating.

His sudden presence had startled her, causing Akari to lose her pugnacious attitude.

"Hey. I've been looking for you guys for a while to let you all know which inn I chose, but I guess we can all go there together now." He informed them in a serious yet bored tone, which none of them thought was possible.

Akari gazed upwards, realizing the sun was now a golden orb setting lower and lower in the distance.

Pinks, purples, golds and blues coalesced into each other in the sky like colors splashed onto a canvas.

"Somehow I don't think you looked very hard." Saburo pointed out, a glaze over his eyes his only hint to a desire for sleep.

The silver-haired jonin stared him down.

"Would you have preferred it if I hadn't looked at all?"

"Can we please just go to the inn and get some sleep? We're all getting cranky and argumentative." Akari interrupted, effectively putting Kakashi and Saburo's discussion to a halt.

Hatake nodded. "Yes, shall we?"

With Kakashi in the lead, the group of five made it to the inn they were residing in for the night.

Chikara stared at the back of Akari, Saburo's words playing in his mind.

_"She just can't express it really well, so I guess you could say she has kindness in disguise."_

Was that really true?

Akari never treated him like royalty, more like a younger brother or a child that needed scolding.

As if sensing his eyes trained on her, the redhead craned her neck to frown at him.

"Something wrong, Chikara?"

Jolting at the sudden question, Chikara took a moment to clear his head before shaking it.

"No."

She shrugged. "Okay."

Turning back around, Akari started pestering Kakashi about his book.

A light smile grew on the child's lips.

_"I guess I'll just have to find out."_

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! I wanna give a shout out to KRenee and my beta reader G-ChanSanKun. They're amazing and have been extremely helpful! ^^ Review. Favorite. Follow. Three things that all take less than a minute to do and make me very happy ;)**


	4. The Secret Behind the Dreams

**Honor of the Heart**

**Chapter 4: The Secret Behind the Dreams**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, blah blah blah...I only own Akari, Saburo, Taiki, their mentor (and dog), and so on. **

**Akari's POV**

Kakashi led us up to our room. We were all going to sleep in the same one because then we'd be able to back each other up if there's an attack and it's safer for Chikara.

I didn't want to sleep.

In fact I feared it.

I hated how I fell victim to my own mind every time I closed my eyes, even when it became foggy due to lack of sleep.

Once we entered the room, Hatake started talking night shifts.

I immediately said, "I'll do it."

Everyone looked at me a little quizzically, so I guess I spoke a little too eagerly.

"I'm not that tired, and you guys look like you're gonna pass out, so..." I lied, smiling.

Hatake was the only one to seem unconvinced.

Figures.

"In fact, I'll take the whole night shift! I'm really not tired. You guys just sleep soundly."

Taiki smiled back at me.

"Okay, if that's what you want. Goodnight, Akari-chan."

I nodded. "Goodnight, Taiki-kun."

Saburo eyed me suspiciously.

I tensed, sending him a smile.

"Goodnight, Saburo."

"Night." He grunted, though I don't think his suspicions subsided.

I sighed in relief.

The moon rose up into the midnight sky like a glowing, bright sphere. It gave me comfort somehow.

A sense of familiarity washed over me from watching it, like it was an old friend.

Then it hit me.

My mother had always loved the moon, staying up with me to gaze at the specks of stars and pointing at the distant planet, telling me there was a face singing in it. At first I saw nothing but spots, but as I focused more I could still see the patterns of a face, singing away like it always did.

_"The moon lights your path when you can see nothing else. The stars are burning souls, watching over you and act as your cheerful guides. Even in darkness, there is light. You can always find your way, Akari, no matter where you are. And you're never alone."_

She spoke those words to me when I was little and afraid of the dark.

I wanted to hear them once more, just one more time. But I knew I couldn't.

Hours passed and somehow I was still awake.

I glanced around at everyone. Taiki was sleeping soundly, a peaceful expression on his countenance.

I envied him.

Saburo looked...like he was half-asleep and half-awake, which was probably true.

Chikara was snoring, which assured me he was deep asleep.

And then there was Hatake.

I had no idea if he was sleeping or not. Probably not and keeping his mind alert in case of an attack.

It sort of reminded me of a time when we were on a mission in the war together...

_"No, don't remember those times, Akari," _I mentally told myself, shaking my head, "_It'll do nothing but make you depressed."_

I pulled out a small photo from my shorts pocket.

It was a picture of my father, mother and I.

Stroking the photo with my thumb, I sighed and looked up at the moon. I wondered if my parents were up there with the other stars, watching over me even now.

"Mom...dad...I wish you were here..."

I murmured, the pain of loss freshly overwhelming me.

Hugging my legs to my chest, I stared up to the pale-colored glowing planet that somehow managed to give me comfort.

Soon enough I felt my eyes grow heavy with sleep.

_"No...I can't fall asleep!"_ I shook my head once more, trying to knock out my fatigue.

"I can't go back there...to that place...I can't watch everyone die again for me..."

I hadn't even realized I'd spoken aloud.

"Agh...why do I always end up...falling asleep?"

My eyes drifted shut, and waves of lethargy swept over me.

* * *

**Normal POV**

Akari fell asleep when it was nearly through the night, the photograph gripped tightly between her fingers.

Hatake shifted, sitting up as if he'd never slept at all and was wide awake.

Noticing she hadn't succeeded in her task, he sighed.

_"Always overdoing it...geez..."_ He thought, getting up to walk over to her.

He realized she looked quite peaceful when she was asleep. When she was conscious and aware, she always looked like she had to prove herself strong and capable as a shinobi.

Kakashi was about to consider waking her when he spotted the picture clutched tightly around her knees.

Angling his head, he saw it was her and her parents.

"It's amazing how much someone can lose in one night..." He trailed off, a familiar weight emerging from inside him.

Shrugging it off, the silver-haired jonin moved Akari onto her back and placed a blanket over her since she started to shiver.

He sat down and remained alert. "You've done your share for the night, Akari-chan. As the leader, I should be able to do at least this much."

Kakashi craned his neck to look at Akari once more. She was now curled up underneath the blanket, her expression still looking innocent and at peace with the picture in her hands.

"Try and have a good night's sleep..." The jonin said, his single visible onyx eye leaving Akari's form.

Hatake lied down, resting but still aware of his surroundings.

The moon gleamed down pale rays through the shades, accentuating his silvery hair as the stars seemed to grow a little brighter.

* * *

**No One's POV (Dream)**

_Akari opened her eyes to realize she was standing in the playground in Konoha, wearing a light yellow dress lined with green._

_The swings creaked once in a while, pushed by the recurring winds. The grass rippled like the waves in the ocean._

_It was quiet and vacant. _

_The redhead actually relished the silence. It wasn't as horrible as her usual dreams, at least. They were a torrent of noises, crashing down on her in their horrid chaos._

_But she was expecting a twist soon. Something that would plummet her into the cold, dark abyss of reality and memories. _

_So Akari refused to let her guard down and glanced around anxiously._

___It was then she noticed part of her hair was pinned behind her, twisted into an elaborate braid._

_"Akari."_

_An all too familiar cheerful and airy voice cut through the calm and quiet like a thrown kunai._

_The said girl whipped around to see a head full of long, dark brown almost black hair framing a lovely face with fair skin and pale lavender eyes._

_Akari felt her throat go dry as her heart hammered in her chest. Blood pounded against the redhead's ears while she struggled for words._

_"E-Etsuko..." She finally replied, her voice unsteady._

_Etsuko was smiling softly as she spoke. "Akari-chan, thank you for being my best friend."_

_The Hyuuga's smile was radiant and beautiful, a smile Akari envied, missed and loved._

_She was taken aback. "Etsuko...you're welcome."_

_Crimson stains began to soak through Etsuko's kimono-based shirt. She clutched at her chest in agony, her face contorted in pain._

_"Why?" The Hyuuga wailed, staring back at her best friend with her Byakugan activated. The veins surrounding her eyes bulged and suddenly Akari could smell the choking, burning scent of smoke mingled with corpses._

_Horrified, Akari sucked in a breath, stepping back._

_"Why did you let me die?! Why didn't you run away? Why did you have to fight back?" Etsuko cried, limping forward._

_The scenery behind her began to melt away, bursting forth winds filled with lung-burning ashes and embers. Flames devoured buildings as fresh blood soaked the ground._

_The Nara across from her shut her eyes, unable to look any longer._

_"I...I had to protect Konoha! It's my home, and I was ready to die for it!" She answered, fear and guilt causing her voice to quiver._

_"Konoha?! THAT'S your excuse?! People died for you! I died for you!" The Hyuuga shrieked. _

_When Akari said nothing, Etsuko narrowed her eyes into a fierce glare._

_"Very well. Relive it again. And see if you still have the same answer."_

_The redhead widened her amethyst eyes in fear._

_"NO! Please, not again!"_

**_"This isn't really Etsuko...It can't be. She's not like this."_**

_It suddenly flashed white and Akari was whisked back to the hungry flames, the rotting corpses and the fresh screams of those fighting and getting killed._

_"Make it stop..." Akari murmured, ready to tear out her rose-colored hair._

_"MAKE IT STOP!"_

* * *

**The Next Day**

"No...stop...please!" A faint voice whimpered, sounding pitiful and breaking the morning silence.

Hatake awoke immediately, his eyes on Akari.

Her face was twisted in terror with her eyebrows knitted together and perspiration causing her rose-colored hair to stick to her face and neck.

Wrenching in her sleep, it looked as if she was fighting something.

"No...please...don't die!"

Akari's voice was desperate and weak.

"I'll...I'll kill you! You stupid fox! I'll make sure..." She trailed off, hatred evident in her face.

Kakashi sighed. "I guess she didn't have a pleasant sleep...again..."

Shaking her shoulder, he tried to wake her up out of her nightmare.

"Akari, wake up."

This time, unlike before, she responded.

Akari jolted awake, sitting up with a gasp and panting hard. Her hands were gripping his sleeves tightly, and her eyes showed her undeniable fear.

After a few seconds she snapped out of it.

"Oh...I fell asleep again."

Realizing she was still clutching Kakashi's arms, she let go and recoiled, beginning to wipe the sweat off of her brow.

"Thanks for waking me. Again."

"Not a problem. We wouldn't want your fellow teammates freaking out now, would we?" Hatake replied, noticing her hands were pale and trembling.

"Yeah...we need to stay focused on our mission. Chikara's safety comes first. Did you keep watch the rest of the night?" Akari's voice had stabilized, and her eyes hardened.

She played with a strand of vibrant-colored hair.

"Yeah. But it's nothing I couldn't handle." Hatake replied.

"I'm sorry about this. I didn't mean for you to see the sides of me I'd rather keep hidden. It must be uncomfortable."

Kakashi shrugged. "I don't really mind. Everyone goes through trauma. But this is going to be a problem if it keeps happening every time you fall asleep. Eventually they'll find out."

The redhead looked at him, her eyes full of determination. "Not if I can help it. For this mission, do you think that maybe...you could place me under a genjutsu?"

The silver-haired jonin stared back at her in surprise. "Genjutsu? Are you sure?"

She nodded. "If I'm under a genjutsu at night, I won't be able to sleep. And then in the morning all you have to do is release it, and they won't find out. At the same time, it'll seem like I'm sleeping. I'd release it myself, but while in the genjutsu I won't be able to tell whether it's night or day."

Kakashi pondered on it, then sighed. "I suppose. We'll have to be careful about when we perform the genjutsu, though. If they discover our plan, questions will surface. And we can't afford our teamwork to become unstable during this mission. We must work efficiently and cooperate in order to get Chikara home safely."

Akari nodded in agreement. "I know."

There was a pause before she added, "Thank you, Hatake. I'm sorry to put this on you."

Studying her face, the jonin realized she was probably angry at herself for needing such assistance.

"It's fine. Since it helps keep this team together, I don't mind. But you should tell them soon. They deserve to know, even if it makes them worry."

Akari smiled. "What I'm doing is for the best. Sometimes ignorance is bliss."

"Well, it's none of my business as long as it doesn't affect our mission." Kakashi shrugged.

"That being said..." The redhead grinned evilly, stalking over to Saburo.

She crouched down next to his ear and summoned a clone to crouch down to his other ear.

Sucking in a breath, she shouted, "WAKE UP SABURO!"

The black-haired genin jolted awake, nearly jumping out of his skin.

Akari bursted out laughing, causing Taiki and Chikara to wake up as well.

"Geez, you stupid wench! It's too early for pranks!"

Immediately over at his side and grabbing his shirt, the redhead glared at him so intensely Chikara felt faint.

"What was that, brat?"

"Now, now, Akari-chan! Please don't harm the one we're supposed to protect _from _harm." Taiki warned drowsily as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Akari released the shaken Chikara with a huff and crossed her arms. "Fine. It's not like I was actually gonna hurt him."

"Hah! Yeah right!" Chikara retorted.

Kakashi stood up, glancing at each of his subordinates.

"We should get a move on now, or else we'll waste daylight."

They all nodded in agreement, leaving the inn.

Before completely parting, Kakashi spoke to the inn owner and bowed, thanking her for their stay.

"Finally! I'm closer to getting home!" Chikara said eagerly.

"Yeah, and I finally won't have to put up with your temper tantrums." Akari added.

Just as Chikara was about to spit out a retort, Kakashi returned.

"Alright, let's move. Don't want to wait around for something bad to happen, right?"

"Why do I feel like you just jinxed it?" Taiki asked rhetorically, a shiver rattling his spine.

"Well, no use dwelling on it! Let's go, team!" Akari announced, dragging her teammates ahead with Chikara and Kakashi close behind.

"Hey, Akari-chan! You're choking me!" Taiki gasped, clawing at her locked grip on his neck.

"Idiot, let go of me, Akari!" Saburo snapped, also struggling to worm out of her arm that was hooked around his neck.

"Come on, let's go~" The Nara cheered, letting their desperate pleas flow past her head like water.

"-Knock it off! What did I just say?!"

"-Those three are weird. Well, Taiki-niisan is fine, but those other two..." Chikara trailed off despite the constant yelling of the three teammates in the background.

Kakashi looked down at the child, watching the backs of Akari, Taiki and Saburo. For a moment he saw his own team in them.

A small smile crept onto his lips underneath his mask.

The trio's voices were still highly audible.

"-Oh come on, what's the harm?"

"-What's the harm?! Akari your grip was equivalent to when you're holding back an enemy! And you _wouldn't let go_!"

"-You get used to them. Besides, I think you'll find that after getting to know them a little better, that you will respect all of them."

Chikara gazed at him in disbelief as they left the town, then to the three young shinobi.

"-I did not! It's a normal thing to do, right? I see groups of friends do it all the time!"

"-How do you figure that?" The young heir queried, cocking a brow.

"Because believe it or not, they're all willing to risk their lives for you if that's what it takes to get you home safely." The silver-haired jonin answered.

"-Oh geez, would you shut up about it already?! I'm sorry!"

They heard Akari snap as she walked with her teammates, sticking out her lower lip in the form of a pout.

When they began bickering once more, Kakashi sighed.

"But they require a lot a patience."

Akari turned to look at him, which surprised him to some extent.

Slowly the redhead fell back to the jonin's side, a desire to converse glittering in her gem-colored eyes.

"Hey, kid. Hurry on ahead, okay?" She told Chikara in a gentle but demanding tone.

He curled a lip. "Hey, you can't tell me what to-"

"Just go, okay? This is important." Now her demand had become a request.

Chikara relented. "Fine."

Begrudgingly he jogged ahead to walk between Taiki and Saburo. Taiki welcomed him warmly while Saburo said nothing.

"Hatake, I have a question."

"Okay, why don't you ask me instead of stating you have one?" Kakashi replied, pulling out his book.

"It's about my...situation." Akari whispered.

"What about it?"

"Do you...I was hoping, since you might have some ideas...do you have any clue as to why it keeps occurring? I mean, I just wanna move on with my life, not get haunted by ghosts of the past."

Hatake's eyes never left the inked pages.

"Hmm...I'm not sure. Usually it has to do with physical, emotional and psychological tolls on the body. The human body has failsafes when something happens that's too much for you to handle. In your case, you have recurring nightmares. Other possibilities are insomnia, a psychotic break, amnesia, depression...the list goes on, but I'd rather not ramble."

Akari's eyes sparked with concern.

"Well, I guess I should be glad I only have nightmares. But what else is there? Something that might help?"

"All I can think of is that you're holding onto something. Maybe you don't want to forget their faces so your subconscious takes you back to when you last saw them, or because you blame yourself for their deaths." Kakashi said.

The redhead tensed, her jaw set and amethyst eyes averting the jonin beside her.

"Interesting."

She then smiled, moving away from the White Fang's son.

"Nice theory, but I guess I'll just have to keep putting up with these stupid dreams. Oh well, it was worth a shot."

Hurrying past him, she easily caught up with her teammates as Kakashi appeared in the front.

They formulated the defensive positions around Chikara again, with Chikara directly behind Kakashi, Akari and Saburo at his sides and Taiki behind him.

The Sharingan-wielding jonin craned his neck slightly to look at Akari, who seemed focused yet distant. She hadn't spoken in a while either.

_"I must have hit a nerve." _He thought, recalling when she tensed and hastily walked away.

Little did they know about the shadows lurking close by, waiting for the opportune moment to strike the seemingly oblivious team.

"Is that the child?" A deep, gravelly voice asked.

"Seems like it. The daimyo's son." Another voice, this one much smoother, spoke.

"How cute, a team of three genin and a jonin. Getting our hands on the boy will be easy." A feminine voice chuckled, dark amusement in her tone.

"Careful, we still don't know what they're capable of." Yet another male voice warned, serious and light.

"Relax, comrades. They're Konoha shinobi. If they can't even control their own Tailed Beast, then we have nothing to fear." The gravelly tone replied.

"Isn't that Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan? We must be wary and cautious of our enemies. Let us wait and see how powerful they really are." The smooth voice insisted as the others silently complied.

Eyes gleamed in the trees, lips curled back into smirks.

"It will be interesting to fight against Hatake Kakashi. But rest assured, we'll get the boy, no matter the circumstances."

**A/N: Okay, so that's it. Yeah, I know. "Where's the action?!" Hopefully next chapter. Please review, follow and favorite! They help me a lot, so tell me what you think! :) (Constructive criticism only) Credit must go to KRenee and my beta reader G-ChanSanKun because they've helped immensely :D**


End file.
